


Buttercup

by tentativeTricks



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Heavy Emotions, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nico has paranoia, Nico's Perspective, Non-descriptive emetophobia, solangelo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:28:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29039388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tentativeTricks/pseuds/tentativeTricks
Summary: He sat there in misery until the door's handle jiggled. Head too delirious with pain, heart too scorned by life, Nico didn't notice Will's entrance until he was at the foot of his bed.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 3
Kudos: 45





	Buttercup

**Author's Note:**

> This is nowhere near complete I just want to see if I should maybe make this into a whole fic based on the way this is recepted. Enjoy and let me know any thoughts you have!  
> -  
> 2/2/21  
> I went through and edited it some to fit the emotions that I felt hung on some parts, so there's a bunch of that, and I also added a little bit at the beginning and the end. I might make this chapter one and move on to a second. Let me know your thoughts!

"I'm proud of Reyna," Nico smiled. "She'll be an excellent Hunter, like Bianca."

The world stopped spinning, and Nico felt Will's concern practically hang in the air as the blond reached his hand out, offering to take Nico's.

Nico avoided his gaze, eyes flitting from his hands, to the hilt of his Stygian sword, to the laces of his boots that were slipping from their knots. He shifted and turned his head away, face stoic aside from the tensing of his jaw, his arm shifting as he balled a fist.

"Like Bianca," he repeated, lip quivering as he spoke. He would never normally allow this- they were outside Cabin Thirteen, the chilly night air too exposed and open to risk anything near this topic.

But it was the beginning of spring, and all the year rounders knew better than to seek the Hades cabin without an invitation.

His shoulders tensed as he fought back tears, his voice hoarse when he spoke.

"I wonder who she is now," he choked out. His voice cracked, the break allowing all of his years of heartache, the months of refusing anything but anger about Bianca to flood his features. He could never forgive her for moving on, for abandoning him and seeking a new life on Earth.

Will's eyes were soft, more sad than concerned now. He was aware of what had happened of course- a son of Hades vehemently hating a son of Poseidon didn't really go unnoticed, and the many times he had been there to hold Nico when he was crying kind of gave it away, too. 

With a gentle touch, he rested his hand on Nico's arm, drawing the boy's attention towards him.

Nico shifted, glancing at Will with apprehension. Gods, he trusted this guy with his life. He felt he could show him anything, any part of his anger or despair. And then his chest tightened, and he couldn't help the doubts that ate at him. He had been betrayed before. He had loved before, no, never quite like this, but there was never someone who had ever kept his complete confidence, allowed him to unflinchingly trust, aside from Bianca.

He was standing in an instant, sheathing his sword in one smooth motion.

"Nico?" Will's brows were practically touching from his confusion. He watched in shock as his sunshine clouded over. The former banter, comfort, and love between them had snapped like a skewer versus a knee. And within moments, the knee appeared in the form of a door.

"Buonanotte tesoro mio," Nico muttered, and half a moment later the door was shut in Will's face and the lock clicked.

"Good.... Night." Will stared. He raised his hand to knock, but hesitated, chewing on the idea of trying to reason with Nico through the solid door.

He didn't have a key, and he didn't have a jacket, and the Hades cabin practically stole the warmth from anyone who dared to tread on the rough obsidian.

And he trudged back to Cabin 7. Alone.

Alone.

Nico stood with his ear against the door, listening to the fading steps.

Thank the Gods, he thought, hesitating before he made his way to his bed. He had moved beds a few times, to see if one was better than the others, and had settled on the last one. It wasn't any different, and he felt like he had wasted his time on something so stupid. He removed his sword, slipping off his shoes, his socks and jacket meeting them on the floor. He didn't have to stay organized, without any siblings to keep him neat.

 _Yeah. No siblings._ His thoughts turned dark again, other distractions fading away as anger began seething under his skin. He slipped into his bed, the heavy comforter weighing familiarly down on him as he wrapped his arms around himself, curling into a ball.

Also familiar were the hot tears, silently slipping down his cold face. It felt like fire to his chapped skin. His shoulders shook as he felt the waves of regret, pity, and hostility, the smack in the face of guilt and hatred coursing through him.

 _You shouldn't have trusted him_ , they cried.

 _Why didn't you take his place?_ Practically audible, hissed in his ear.

 _She was twelve_. It should have been him.

 _No one can see_. He was sobbing uncontrollably now, snot and tears running to his pillow as he shivered from head to toe. His cries rang through the empty cabin, empty sobs echoing.

 _He isn't trustworthy._ I want to love him. I want to be loved.

 _He is disgusted by you._ A harsher cry tore from him, and he was screaming in anger, pain, regret, misery, and most of all, a longing to feel warm hands wiping away the tears that refused to leave Nico alone, to feel arms around him to dismiss the ugly chill that he couldn't get rid of.

In a fit of passion, of loneliness, of desperation, Nico's arm moved out of instinct, his fist meeting the wall with a sickening crack.

It wasn't the polished obsidian that gave way.

Sobs once more clung on their way from Nico's chest, his broken hand clutched in the other as he curled up tighter, his stomach churning with upset and the meager scraps he had managed to get down in the day.

They came back quickly, the stench quickly filling the windowless room.

He sat there in misery until the door's handle jiggled. Head too delirious with pain, heart too scorned by life, Nico didn't notice Will's entrance until he was at the foot of his bed.

"Nico?" Will was shocked, his blue eyes examining the situation within seconds, the disgust from the smell quickly covered with concern.

"Will," he groaned, his voice hoarse from the emotions he had bared to the walls of his father's cabin. He reached a shaky hand towards his boyfriend. Bloody knuckles were illuminated by the greek fire blazing in the torches along the walls. It looked awful, but Nico didn't seem to process the pain as he sighed the blond's name again.

"Oh, Neeks..." Will was already moving, across the room in seconds to retrieve the first aid kit that he had fought so hard to keep in the bathroom, despite Nico's protests.

There was no protesting as the kit was laid out on the bed, Nico silent even as his wounds were cleaned, the alcohol inciting no response. Will was the only one making any sound, murmuring soft reassurances that Nico was going to be fine.

Once his fingers were bandaged, Nico was left to watch blankly as Will cleaned the floor. He had managed to avoid soiling his shoes, socks, or jacket, which was great. His sword cleaned easy, thankfully. Once Will had tidied everything up, he laid out a new set of clothes for Nico, and helped him to the bathroom.

A toothbrushing and change later, Nico was sitting upright on his bed, bandaged hand resting in his lap as the other held Will's. The air was silent between them, aside from their gentle breathing.

"How'd you get in?" Nico eventually asked, shifting to look at Will.

With a guilty smile, Will dug a huge keyring from his pocket. "Annabeth is kinda the most trusted counselor. And she let me borrow her keys."

Nico nodded silently in response. He was too drained from crying, from the pain his heart and head caused him, from the way Will had had to set his fingers to minimize lasting damage. He had been unable to react fully to anything, the pull of emotions having taken every ounce of effort and every single fuck he may have been able to give. 

This wasn't the first time Nico had done something like punch a wall, or even had a breakdown of this magnitude. But it was the first time Will had been able to comfort him, and by the Gods, he would do anything to take care of his boyfriend and to help him recognize that he wasn't and would never be alone. 


End file.
